Tag Archives: Kolkata chilli chicken

After The Mainland China Cookbook (read the book review) was delivered last Saturday, I was just trying to find that opportunity to prepare something from it. Though I prepared crackling spinach, but before I could even get a chance to take a snap, it was all finished.

Last night prepared chilli chicken. Chilli chicken is probably the most popular Chinese dish prepared in IndiaJ. According to Mr. Ranjit Banerji, one of our very active users of the Cook Like a Bong Facebook page, chilli chicken and chicken manchurian is the innovation of the famous Nelson Wang, the founder of China Garden restaurant in Mumbai. It seems almost everybody can relate to this juicy and succulent Chinese preparation. From roadside stalls to fine-dining Chinese restaurants, chilli chicken finds it place everywhere. During my school days, I remember our favorite party-time combo was fried rice and chili chicken.

The Mainland China cookbook has the Keong style of chilli chicken documented. I have made a little variation to this dish to add the extra hint of greens in this saucy Chinese dish.

Ingredients:

200gms of Boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 egg

2 heaped tablespoon of cornflour

½ cup capsicums, cut into 1” triangles

½ cup onions, chopped into 1” squares

½ tablespoon of Ginger-garlic paste

6-7 green chilies, chopped

2 ½ tablespoon dark soya sauce

1 teaspoon of vinegar

3-4 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ cup of spring onions, chopped to 1” sizes

Few spring onions finely chopped for garnishing, optional

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Dissolve half the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of soya sauce and one beaten egg

Mix this with the chicken, marinate for ½ hour

Stir fry the chicken till the outside turn crispy, remove from the wok and soak the extra oil in a kitchen paper

Heat oil in a wok, as the oil turns smoking hot add the capsicum and onions. Stir well till the onions turn translucent. Add the green chilies

Dissolve the extra cornflour in the remaining soya sauce, and pour it in the wok, stir

Add the fried chicken and spring onions, and adjust the seasoning

Cook till the chicken is evenly coated with the sauce

Serve hot with noodles garnishes with chopped spring onions

Hot Tips – You can keep the chicken in the marinade for longer hours, but then refrigerate it.